quote:

ORIGINAL: crazyml

Oh goodness, please, please, don't feel under any obligation to pay even the slightest attention, I really don't care all that much.

I'm really very sorry if you got the impression that my dislike of the "lifestyle" label was fervent, there are very few things I feel fervently about and this aint one of them.

I'm also sorry if you got the impression that I don't want to be "part of" the lifestyle, that certainly wasn't what I was saying. Since your reading comprehension skills are, doubtless, unimpeachable, I'll have to accept that the fault is mine.

Let me try and explain it to you in a better way.

I'm really delighted, I am tickled pink, cock-a-hoop, overjoyed to be a "part of" the BDSM lifestyle. Just as I'm passionate about the sailing lifestyle.

But I wouldn't want either my participation in the BDSM lifestyle or Sailing to define me.. these are a part of my lifestyle, they don't define it.

In that sense, the precise definition doesn't seem that important to me - But I'll give you my very subjective definition of "lifestyle" - to me a lifestyle represents a particular set of values, activities or beliefs. When you refer to someone's lifestyle, you're identifying them with a particular set of activities, values and beliefs. If someone were to describe me as a "lifestyle BDSM'er" they'd be missing out on all of the other values, activities and beliefs that define me and that would simply be inaccurate.

I hope that that helps explain my position.

Love'n'hugz,

ML